Wolf Spiders

Spiders of Victoria series

For most spiders, sons and daughters never get to meet their mum. The spiderlings hatch and are left alone to survive or become prey themselves. One exception to this behaviour is the wolf spiders (family Lycosidae). They provide maternal care that helps to protect the spiderlings until they are older and more able to feed and defend themselves.

The female wolf spider weaves a circular mat of fine silk onto which she deposits a hundred or more eggs. She then weaves silk around the eggs, draws up the sides of the mat and sews it into a silken ball. The size of this silken ball is often about the same as the spider itself.

Using strong silken threads, she then attaches the egg case to the under surface of her abdomen and carries it with her. She incubates the eggs during the day by facing the egg case towards the sun and slowly turning it. When the spiderlings finally hatch, they crawl up onto the mother’s abdomen, often covering her several layers deep.

Her maternal care extends only to providing the spiderlings with transport and protection from predators. The spiderlings do not share any of the prey that the mother catches, and if they fall off they are not rescued. Still, it’s a better start to life than most other spiderlings receive.

Comments (20)

Hi Joel, there are many species of wolf spider; some construct burrows but many species can be found in leaf litter or are known as vagrants, that is just using whatever shelter they find. As it notes in the sheet above the female wolf spiders construct an egg sac and carry it around with them while they are hunting for food, sometimes 'sunning' it. It is quite common to see these spiders walking around with the egg sac. It's even better to see the female walking around with all her young on her back.

Have had a burrowing variety in my lawns for many years, sometimes with a slik covering over their hole but this would only be about 10% of those noticed. Have seen eggsacks attached to the abdomen and also babies covering the abdomen.
do not appear as aggresive either freezing or scurrying down their burrows when they spot me.

Spotted a wolf spider on the side of the alpine walking track not far from falls creek.I photographed it as we did not know it's species. It was promptly identified by the museum discovery centre with a detailed reply as a wolf spider.

I have lived in Werribee for about 3 years and I have noticed that all the wolf spiders here, there are quite a few, have seven legs. All the same leg too the left leg so it cannot be that they all lost the same one. Is this usual in their breeding? Do some just have seven legs? I have searched the internet and I cannot find a reference that's why I have come to the experts.

Wolf spiders, like some other species, have the ability to sacrifice a body part in order to escape prey. It is not uncommon to see spiders with less than a full complement of legs, due to this natural defence. As explained by Brueseke et al in their research article “Leg Autotomy in the Wolf Spider Pardosa milvina: A Common Phenomenon with Few Apparent Costs”, the loss of a leg does not cause significant detriment to the spider. You can read an abstract of this article here.

Olivia
25 May, 2014 21:17

I live in point cook and have seen several larger spiders around the house and in the garage over the last few weeks.
I'd love to get the spider identified, so I know if it is a risk and how to manage it around the home. I have tried online identifying but still not sure.
Would appreciate any advice in getting the spider identified. Thanks
Can you suggest

Wolf Spiders can have up to three hundred young, but only about half survive to become adults.

Melissa E
12 June, 2014 00:27

hey about 2 months ago I was at a friends house and she asked me to catch a spider and I did and we brought her home just to scare my girlfriend but ended it up keeping it later realize that she was laying eggs one week is passed and she has made herself a barrow I'm eager to see what this is going to come too but I don't want them to die so I need to know what I should do about feeding spiderlings " spidareris" has been so much fun to look after and my boys have loved so much wolf spiders rock

Hi Melissa, female Wolf Spiders generally carry their egg sac with them wherever they travel and, after hatching, the spiderlings climb onto their mother's back. Whilst on her back they don't feed, but will need to feed soon after dispersing. They are quite difficult to feed in captivity at this stage as they require very small prey. If you're concerned about their survival the best option is to let them go back where you found them.

Connor Guy-Smith
15 December, 2014 16:02

I live in a town in Victoria called Shepparton, and I really love catching spiders to study them. One of the spiders I want to catch the most is a wolf spider, I would really love to know if there are wolf spiders in Shepparton?